Temperature dependence of the effective anisotropy in Ni nanowire arrays

Magnetic hysteresis in Ni nanowire arrays grown by electrodeposition inside the pores of anodic alumina templates is studied as a function of temperature in the range between 5 K and 300 K. Nanowires with different diameters, aspect ratios, inter-wire distance in the array and surface condition (smooth and rough) are synthesized. These microstructure parameters are linked to the different free magnetic energy contributions determining coercivity and the controlling magnetization reversal mechanisms. Coercivity increases with temperature in arrays of nanowires with rough surfaces and small diameters ─33 nm and 65 nm─ when measured without removing the alumina template and/or the Al substrate. For thicker wires ─200 nm in diameter and relatively smooth surfaces─ measured without the Al substrate, coercivity decreases as temperature rises. These temperature dependences of magnetic hysteresis are described in terms of an effective magnetic anisotropy K_a, resulting from the interplay of magnetocrystalline, magnetoelastic and shape anisotropies, together with the magnetostatic interaction energy density between nanowires in the array. The experimentally determined coercive fields are compared with results of micromagnetic calculations, performed considering the magnetization reversal mode acting in each studied array and microstructure parameters. A method is proposed to roughly estimate the value of K_a experimentally, from the hysteresis loops measured at different temperatures. These measured values are in agreement with theoretical calculations. The observed temperature dependence of coercivity does not arise from an intrinsic property of pure Ni but from the nanowires surface roughness and the way the array is measured, with or without the alumina template and/or the aluminum support.     

Angular dependence of the coercivity and remanence of ordered arrays of Co nanowires

The angular dependence of the coercivity and remanence of ordered hexagonal arrays of Co nanowires prepared using anodic aluminum oxide templates was investigated. The experimental evolution of coercivity as a function of the angle, in which the external field is applied, is interpreted considering micromagnetic simulations. Depending on the angle between the axis of the wire and the applied magnetic field direction our results show that the magnetization reversal mode changes from vortex to a transverse domain wall. Besides, we observed that the dipolar interactions cause a reduction in coercive fields, mainly in the direction of easy magnetization of the nanowires. Good agreement between numerical and experimental data is obtained.     

PKP simulation of size effect on interaction field distribution in highly ordered ferromagnetic nanowire arrays

Perpendicular structured nanowire arrays interaction field distributions (IFDs), as revealed from first-order reversal curves (FORC) diagrams, are related to the presence of the demagnetizing field in the system. Despite the similarity between the geometric properties of bit patterned media and mentioned nanowire arrays, FORC diagrams of these two types of systems are not similar essentially due to the different number of magnetic entities influencing the switch of an individual element. We show that one Preisach–Krasnosel'skii–Pokrovskii (PKP) symmetrical hysteron can be representative of an ideal infinite nanowire array when the field is applied along the wires. Starting from this observation, we present a very simple model based on PKP symmetrical hysterons that can be applied to real finite ferromagnetic nanowire arrays, and is able to describe a wide class of experimentally observed FORC distributions, revealing features due to size effects. We also present IFDs modeled for different geometric characteristics such as array size, interwire distance, and nanowire dimensions, and an identification procedure for the proposed model.     

Pulse electrodeposition of Co1−xZnx nanowire arrays: Magnetic improvement through electrolyte concentration,off-time between pulses and annealing

Using different electrolyte compositions and varying the off-time between pulses, Co_1xZn_x nanowire arrays were fabricated by ac pulse electrodeposition. The effect of deposition parameters on alloy contents was investigated by studying the microstructures and magnetic properties of as-deposited and annealed Co_1xZn_x nanowires. It is shown that Zn content in CoZn nanowires exponentially increases by increasing the zinc ions in the electrolyte. The Zn content initially increases to a maximum by increase in off-time between pulses and then falls off. Adding a certain amount of Zn to Co led to form amorphous CoZn nanowires. A significant increase in magnetization, coercivity and squareness of CoZn nanowires was observed after annealing. The rate of increase in magnetization of annealed samples was seen to be inversely proportional to their initial magnetization. Improvement of magnetic properties of annealed samples may be caused by magnetic cluster formation and pinning effect.     

大规模制备Ni80Fe20纳米线阵列及其磁学特性研究

利用电化学沉积方法在高度有序纳米孔氧化铝模板中大规模制备了Ni80₈₀Fe 20₂₀纳米线阵列.该方法得到的Ni80₈₀Fe20₂₀ 纳米线产率高（约1012^{12—101313/cm22）, 而且这些纳米线阵列具有（111）择优生 长取向和很高的纵横比.与体材料相比,这些Ni80₈₀Fe20₂₀纳 米线阵列具 关键词： 纳米线阵列 磁性}     

GISAXS and SAXS studies on the spatial structures of Co nanowire arrays

The spatial structures of magnetic Co nanowire array embedded in anodic aluminium membranes were investigated by grazing incidence small angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) and conventional small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) techniques. Compared with SEM observation, the GISAXS and SAXS measurements can get more overall structural information in a large-area scale. In this study, the two-dimensional GISAXS pattern was well reconstructed by using the IsGISAXS program. The results demonstrate that the hexagonal lattice formed by the Co nanowires is distorted (a ≈ 105 nm, b ≈ 95 nm). These Co nanowires are isolated into many structure domains with different orientations with a size of about 2 μm. The SAXS results have also confirmed that the nanopore structures in the AAM can be retained after depositing Co nanowires although the Co nanowires can not completely but only just fill up the nanopores. These results are helpful for understanding the global structure of the Co nanowire array.     

Microstructure and magnetic properties of Co-Cu nanowire arrays fabricated by galvanic displacement deposition

CoCu nanowires were fabricated in anodic alumina templates by a simple metal displacement deposition method and the as-deposited samples were subsequently annealed at 400 °C in vacuum. The CoCu nanowires are 80 nm in diameter and 50 μm in length. The aspect ratio (ratio of length to diameter) is larger than 600, which results in distinctive magnetic anisotropy. Enhanced coercivity (about 2245 Oe) and large squareness of 92% have been observed in the annealed samples.     

Hybrid solar cells with conducting polymers and vertically aligned silicon nanowire arrays: The effect of silicon conductivity

Organic/inorganic hybrid solar cells, based on vertically aligned n-type silicon nanowires (n-Si NWs) and p-type conducting polymers (PEDOT:PSS), were investigated as a function of Si conductivity. The n-Si NWs were easily prepared from the n-Si wafer by employing a silver nanodot-mediated micro-electrochemical redox reaction. This investigation shows that the photocurrent-to-voltage characteristics of the n-Si NW/PEDOT:PSS cells clearly exhibit a stable rectifying diode behavior. The increase in current density and fill factor using high conductive silicon is attributed to an improved charge transport towards the electrodes achieved by lowering the device's series resistance. Our results also show that the surface area of the nanowire that can form heterojunction domains significantly influences the device performance.     

Synthesis and magnetic properties of ordered barium ferrite nanowire arrays in AAO template

BaFe₁₂O₁₉ nanowire arrays having single magnetic domain size (≤460 nm) in anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates were prepared by sol-gel and self-propagating high-temperature synthesis techniques. The diameter of the nanowire arrays is approximately 70 nm and the length is about 2-4 μm. The specimens were characterized using X-ray diffraction, vibrating sample magnetometer, field emission scan electron microscope, atomic force microscopy and microwave vector network analyzer. The magnetic properties of BaFe₁₂O₁₉ nanowire arrays embedded in AAO templates were measured by VSM with a field up to 1274 KA/m at room temperature. The results indicate that the nanowire arrays exhibit large saturation magnetization and high coercivity in the range of 6000 Oe and an obvious magnetic anisotropy with the easy magnetizing axis along the length of the nanowire arrays, probably due to the shape anisotropy and magneto-crystalline anisotropy. Finally the microwave absorption properties of the nanowires were discussed.     

Magnetization and phase diagram of a cubic nanowire in the presence of the crystal field and the transverse field

Magnetic properties of the cubic nanowire, which consists of a ferromagnetic core of spin-1 and a ferromagnetic shell of spin-3/2 with ferrimagnetic interface coupling, are investigated by the use of the effective-field theory with correlations (EFT). Two compensation points have been found for certain values of the system parameters in the nanowire. In particular, the effects of the transverse field and the crystal field on the magnetization and phase transition are described in detail.     

高矫顽力的C0（70）Cu（30）合金纳米线阵列的制备及磁性研究

利用直流电化学沉积法,在多孔阳极氧化铝模板中首次制备出了具有[220]取向的单晶面心立方结构的CoCu固溶体合金纳米线阵列,其Co含量高达70%.透射电子显微镜显示纳米线均匀连续,具有较高的长径比,约为300.磁性测量表明所制备的Co（70）Cu（30）合金纳米线具有超高的矫顽力Hc//=2438 Oe（1 Oe=79.5775 A/m）和较高的矩形比S//=0.76,远高于以往报道的CoCu合金纳米线的磁性,分析表明磁性好的主要原因是由于较高Co含量和高形状各向异性.通过磁性测量和模型计算,得到Co（70）Cu（30）合金纳米线阵列在反磁化过程中遵从对称扇型转动的球链模型,并从结构的角度分析了Co（70）Cu（30）合金纳米线阵列的反磁化行为.     

高矫顽力的Co70Cu30合金纳米线阵列的制备及磁性研究

利用直流电化学沉积法, 在多孔阳极氧化铝模板中首次制备出了具有[220]取向的单晶 面心立方结构的CoCu固溶体合金纳米线阵列, 其Co含量高达70%.透射电子显微镜显示纳米线均匀连续, 具有较高的长径比, 约为300. 磁性测量表明所制备的Co₇₀Cu₃₀ 合金纳米线具有超高的矫顽力H_c//=2438 Oe(1 Oe=79.5775 A/m)和较高的矩形比S//=0.76, 远高于以往报道的CoCu合金纳米线的磁性, 分析表明磁性好的主要原因是由于较高Co含量和高形状各向异性. 通过磁性测量和模型计算, 得到Co₇₀Cu₃₀ 合金纳米线阵列在反磁化过程中遵从对称扇型转动的球链模型, 并从结构的角度分析了Co₇₀Cu₃₀合金纳米线阵列的反磁化行为.     

Controllable synthesis of high aspect ratio Mg_2B_2O_5 nanowires and their applications in reinforced polyhydroxyalkanoate composites

Highly pure magnesium borate （Mg2B2O5） nanowires with an average diameter of - 30 nm, an average length of 15 μm, and a high aspect ratio of - 500 have been synthesized on a large scale via a two-step method. MgBO2（OH） nanowires with high aspect ratios were first prepared via a PVP-assisted hydrothermal technique. Using these nanowires as precursors, single crystalline Mg2B205 nanowires were synthesized by post-annealing treatment at a relatively low temperature of 700 ℃. The important effect of the MgBO2（OH）-Mg2B2O5 conversion process on the morphology of the Mg2B2O5 nanowires was investigated and it was indicated that the recrystallization process plays an important role in the protection of the one-dimensional （1D） nanostructure. Moreover, the rigidity and the toughness of the Mg2B2O5 nanowire- reinforced PHA composites were tremendously improved compared to those of the pure PHA. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of Mg2B2O5 nanowires for reinforcement applications in polymer composites.     

Direct imprinting of ordered and dense TiO2 nanopore arrays by using a soft template for photovoltaic applications

Highly ordered and dense TiO₂ nanopore arrays are directly nanoimprinted on a transparent conductive glass substrate by using a polymethylmethacrylate/polydimethylsiloxane (PMMA/PDMS) composite soft template, which is replicated from an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) replica mold. Results indicate that heat infiltration under vacuum conditions can ensure complete filling of PMMA into the AAO pores, and that free-standing PMMA nanorods with an aspect ratio more than 5 can be obtained by adjusting the AAO pore depth based on a freeze-drying technique. TiO₂ nanopore arrays with different diameters from 30 to 300 nm and inter-pore distances between 70 and 450 nm can be easily fabricated by using the corresponding templates with different sizes. Preliminary solar cells are also assembled with a heterojunction of conjugated polymer/TiO₂ nanopore arrays. Results indicate that the construction of poly-(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT)/TiO₂ nanopore arrays can be more helpful in quenching the PL emission of P3HT than that of P3HT/flat TiO₂ film, and a maximum efficiency of about 0.32% can be obtained for a photovoltaic device with a TiO₂/[6,6]-phenyl-C₆₁-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM)/P3HT structure.     

Study of domain structure and magnetization reversal after thermal treatments in Fe40Co38Mo4B18 microwires

We have studied the effect of thermal treatment on the magnetic domain structure and magnetic reversal process of amorphous and nanocrystalline Fe₄₀Co₃₈Mo₄B₁₈ microwires. The domain structure and the magnetization reversal of amorphous FeCoMoB microwires reflect the complex stress distribution introduced by the glass coating. Hence, the thickness of radial domain structure decreases with temperature and the temperature dependence of the switching field presents a discontinuous behavior. After nanocrystallization, the domain structure of FeCoMoB microwire is almost constant within the temperature range 10-400 K and the switching field decreases almost linearly with temperature mostly because of the decrease of saturation magnetization.     

Crystallinity and magnetic properties of electrodeposited Co nanowires in porous alumina

Crystalline Co nanowires were pulse electrodeposited into nanoporous aluminum oxide template having an ultra-thinned barrier layer. The effects of off-time between pulses and electrolyte acidity on the microstructure and magnetic properties of the nanowires were investigated. Increasing the off time between pulses increased the crystallinity and the alignment of easy axis with the wire axis. The rate of these increments was seen to depend on the electrolyte acidity and reached its maximum at pH=5.25 electrolyte acidity. Optimizing the crystallinity and crystal orientation, a coercivity value of 3320 Oe and a squareness of>90% were obtained for pure Co nanowires. A 10% increase in coercivity was found after annealing the samples.     

Preparation, structure and photo-catalytic performances of hybrid Bi2SiO5 modified Si nanowire arrays

Bi₂SiO₅ modified Si nanowire array films were fabricated as photo-catalysts via dip-coating Bi(NO₃)₃ on silver-assisted electroless wet chemical etching Si nanowires and subsequently annealing. The structures and morphologies of as-prepared samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectrum, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The results of photocatalytic experiments indicated that the Bi₂SiO₅ modified Si nanowire arrays benefit the improvement for efficient electron-hole separation and photo-catalytic stability, thereby possessing superior photo-degradation performance. These hybrid nanowire arrays will be promising materials for photo-catalysts and degradation agents.     

Analytic theory of wall configuration and depinning mechanism in magnetic nanostructure with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy

We present an analytic theory of the domain wall depinning in magnetic nanostructure with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. The variational principle reveals that the wall is bent in the form of a circular arc which intersects the structure boundaries perpendicularly. The radius is inversely proportional to the magnetic field. With increasing the field the radius shrinks, followed by depinning from the constriction when the arc is not geometrically allowed. The depinning field is proportional to the sine of the constriction angle and the inverse of the constriction width. The validity of the theory is confirmed by comparison with the micromagnetic simulation.     

Micromagnetic study of magnetic domain structure and magnetization reversal in amorphous wires with circular anisotropy

In this work we present a detailed numerical investigation on the magnetic domain formation and magnetization reversal mechanism in sub-millimeter amorphous wires with negative magnetostriction by means of micromagnetic calculations. The formation of circular magnetic domains surrounding a multidomain axially oriented central nucleus was observed for the micromagnetic model representing the amorphous wire. The magnetization reversal explained by micromagnetic computations for the M-H curve is described in terms of a combined nucleation-propagation−rotational mechanism after the saturated state. Results are interpreted in terms of the effective magnetic anisotropy.     

Effects of size and surface anisotropy on thermal magnetization and hysteresis in the magnetic clusters

Based on Monte Carlo simulation, the spin configurations, thermal magnetization and hysteresis loops of the clusters coated by the surface shell with radial anisotropy are studied. Interestingly, a new multidomain containing a few of subdomains whose easy directions are along those of the configurational anisotropy, a magnetization curve in steps and a first order phase transition from the single domain to the multidomain in the thermal and field magnetization processes, are found, which is as a result of the interplay of the configurational anisotropy, the size effect, the surface anisotropy, the applied field and the thermal fluctuation. In this first order transition, we find a critical temperature, a critical surface anisotropy and a critical size. The simulated temperature dependence of the coercivity of the cluster with the surface anisotropy can be fitted by H_c (T)=H_c (0)(1-C_αT^α) with low value of α, which explains well the experimental results of the nanoparticles. Moreover, it is found that the hysteresis loops and coercivity are strongly affected by the cluster size and the thickness of the surface layer.